Entertainment

Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer released early after leak

Marvel Studios was forced to release a trailer for the highly anticipated movie Wednesday, five days early, after an unauthorized clip hit the web.

Marvel releases official trailer early after unauthorized clip hit the web

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America in Avengers: Age of Ultron. (Marvel Studios)

Marvel Studios has released the official trailer for the highly anticipated superhero sequel Avengers: ​Age of Ultron Wednesday after an unauthorized clip hit the web earlier in the day.

The action-packed 2-minutes features many of the original superheros, including Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo as a beleaguered-looking Bruce Banner.

It also features new Avengers characters Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Director/writer Joss Whedon is back at helm for this next chapter in the blockbuster franchise, which centres on the the supervillainous robot, Ultron — a Tony Stark creation gone wrong.

The video was expected to air on ABC next Tuesday after an episode of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. But it surfaced online early Wednesday, forcing Marvel to show its hand, and acknowledge the breach in a Twitter message, blaming the leak on the villainous organization, Hyrda.

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Shortly after that, Marvel released the trailer, and then gave fans their first look at the movie's official poster.

  • On mobile? See movie poster tweet here

The Marvel publicity machine appears to be working full tilt, and the studio is clearly banking on a winner.

The first Avengers took in a whopping $1.5 billion US in 2012, making it the third highest-grossing film of all-time. 

Avengers: Age of Ultron is due in theatres May 1, 2015.